The present invention relates to a pivot assembly for a baseboard heater damper vane, to a baseboard heater utilizing the improved pivot assembly and to an improved pivot element for use in such an assembly.
A baseboard heater generally comprises an elongated housing having a heater element in the form of a tube or pipe which is traversed by hot water and is provided with an array of vanes by means of which heat is transferred to air entering the heater from below and emerging from the heater through a slot between the top of the housing and a front panel. The control of the flow of air by convection through the heater is effected by a damper vane overlying the heating element and generally located in the slot. That vane is pivotally mounted on a plurality of brackets spaced apart along the length of the heater housing.
The bracket itself is designed to hold the parts of the heater in place and to stiffen the housing and may also be formed with a seat carrying the heating element.
In the past the pivot connection between the damper vane or blade and the brackets utilized a riveted stud swinging through a slot in the bracket and a stitch in a member attached to the damper vane. Problems were encountered with assembly of the damper vane to the brackets in such systems and with operation of the damper.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved pivot assembly for a baseboard heater damper which facilitates the mounting of the damper vane in the heater and the connection of the damper vane to the brackets.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved baseboard heater which can be assembled more readily.
A further object of this invention is to provide a baseboard heater pivot assembly for a damper which eliminates drawbacks of prior art systems.
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the invention through the use of a molded pivot element which can be fitted into the damper vane and which can be snap fitted, in turn, into the bracket and which will pivotally mount the damper vane on the bracket.
According to a feature of the invention, the pivot assembly for a baseboard heater damper thus comprises:
a support bracket receivable in a housing of a baseboard heater and formed with a hole; and
a molded pivot element engageable in a damper vane of the baseboard heater and formed with a tapered projection snap fitted through the hole and pivotally mounting the damper vane on the support bracket.
The baseboard heater can comprise:
an elongated housing;
a plurality of support brackets spaced apart along a length of the housing and lying in respective planes transverse to a longitudinal dimension of the housing, each of the brackets forming a seat at a lower portion thereof and a hole at an upper portion thereof;
an elongated heating element received in the housing and resting on the seats of the brackets, the heating element comprising a pipe extending substantially the length of the housing and a multiplicity of fins affixed to the pipe;
a damper vane extending substantially the length of the housing above the heating element; and
respective molded pivot elements engaged in the damper vane and formed with respective tapered projections snap fitted through the holes of the respective brackets and pivotally mounting the damper vane on the support brackets.
The molded pivot element can comprise a base having a pair of opposite edges engageable in channels formed in opposite longitudinal edges of the damper vane, a web projecting from the base, and a tapered projection extending transversely from the web, the tapered projection having a plurality of angularly spaced resilient fingers diverging from a tip of the projection toward the web but terminating at a distance therefrom.
According to a feature of the invention the pivot element further comprises a central stem carrying the fingers, and a pair of opposite arms connected to the web at the stem and extending arcuately to respective free ends flanking the fingers, whereby the bracket is gripped between the fingers and the arms upon insertion of the projection into the hole, erecting friction between the mating parts.
The base can be generally rectangular and can have a body portion along one of the edges of the base forming a spring and frictionally retaining the pivot element against movement in the respective damper vane channel. The web of the molded pivot element can have a brace along a side of that web opposite the side of the web provided with the projection. The brace serves to stiffen the web. The projection, brace, web and base are formed in one piece and the base can be in the form of a frame surrounding an opening which can also be of rectangular configuration and can be adjacent the web. The edge of the base which is not formed as a spring, can be reinforced, i.e. formed with a rib receivable in the other channel of the damper vane. The invention is also applicable to steam and electric baseboard heaters.